Giqs E.v.

What Giqs E.v. does

GIQS e.V. (Interessengemeinschaft Grenzüberschreitende Integrierte Qualitätssicherung) is a German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) founded in 2001 and headquartered in Kleve, with an operational board office in Rheinbach and branch offices in Spiekeroog and Gronau. The organisation functions as a cross-border network coordinator for the German-Dutch agri-food sector, brokering consortium partnerships, coordinating INTERREG-funded research and development projects, and facilitating knowledge transfer between companies, universities, and government agencies across the German-Dutch border region.

The core service offering is project coordination and consortium management rather than standalone products. GIQS assembles multi-partner consortia and serves as lead or regional partner on INTERREG-funded initiatives such as Food Pro·tec·ts (€10M budget, 18 partners), FOOD2020 (156 SMEs supported, 52 jobs created, 21 innovation projects), TreeMania (€1.5M, 11 partners), EcoTwin (digital twin for municipal green spaces), and the newly launched FoodPlus (sustainable agri-food innovation, April 2026). The technology footprint is modest: GIQS itself does not develop software, but partner projects have produced artefacts such as the TH Köln-developed EcoTwin mobile application (computer vision for green space documentation) and the BEL AIR endotoxin dashboard for poultry stable air quality monitoring.

The business model is fund-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams consist of membership fees from member organisations and project funding administration fees from INTERREG programmes and government grants (BMEL, MWIDE NRW). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Governance is provided by a board (Chairman Dr. Oliver Breuer, Deputy Dr. Tim Mäkelburg) and a Supervisory Board including Prof. Dr. Martin Hamer (Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg), Prof. Dr. Brigitte Petersen (University of Bonn), and Johan Zandbergen. The organisation is small (1-10 employees) and operates as an intermediary, with no equity ownership, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity recorded.

Name

Giqs E.v.

Legal name

Interessengemeinschaft Grenzüberschreitende Integrierte Qualitätssicherung (GIQS) e.V.

Website

https://giqs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GIQS e.V. is a German non-profit association founded in 2001 that coordinates cross-border research and innovation projects in the German-Dutch agri-food sector, brokering INTERREG-funded consortia between companies, universities, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cross-border Research Network & Project Coordination Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADANAB

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

SECONDARYBPAHALAC

Data Analytics & Business Intelligence Services

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Research, Analytics & Expert Services

SECONDARYEUAHAKAD

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Data Management, Modeling & GIS/Remote Sensing

Keywords

• Cross-border research coordination
• Agri-food network association
• INTERREG project management
• Quality assurance cooperation
• Knowledge transfer facilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kleve

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: GIQS operates as a registered association (e.V.) with member organizations from the agri-food sector. Members include companies, universities, and institutions that pay membership fees to participate in the network and its activities.
2. Project Funding Administration: As lead partner or regional partner in INTERREG and other funded programs, GIQS coordinates project budgets and receives funding for consortium management, coordination, and knowledge dissemination activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GIQS e.V. is a non-profit cross-border network association that coordinates research and innovation projects in the German-Dutch agri-food sector. It facilitates consortium building, project management, and knowledge transfer between universities, research institutions, agri-food companies, and government agencies. The association's core services include initiating cross-border cooperation, coordinating INTERREG-funded research and development projects, and disseminating project results through publications, events, and networks. Membership is open to companies, universities, and institutions that participate in the network and its activities.

Product overview

GIQS e.V. is a cross-border network organization (Verein) for the agricultural and food industry, not a traditional product company. The organization's core offering consists of coordinated R&D project management and facilitation services. The portfolio includes EcoTwin (digital twin for municipal green spaces), FoodPlus (sustainable agrifood innovation initiative), Food Pro·tec·ts (food production technologies), FOOD2020 (SME innovation platform), MarkiT (animal welfare in meat production), and TreeMania (urban tree cultivation with digital elements). These are collaborative research and innovation projects funded by INTERREG and other programs, coordinated by GIQS for German-Dutch cross-border cooperation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EcoTwin Digital twin solution for municipal green space management that captures environmental data, visualizes it clearly, and derives practical decision support tools for municipalities. Targeted at municipal authorities and partners in the German-Dutch border region.
• FoodPlus Cross-border cooperation initiative that supports companies in developing and implementing sustainable solutions in agriculture and food production to reduce emissions in the agri-food sector. Targeted at agri-food companies in the German-Dutch border region.
• Food Pro·tec·ts INTERREG-funded project for food production technologies for trans-boundary systems, focused on consumer protection, reducing waste, improving animal welfare, and transforming biomass into valuable products. Involves 18 German and Dutch project partners.
• FOOD2020 INTERREG-funded innovation platform supporting SMEs in the German-Dutch border region to develop product and process innovations in the food sector. Phase II supported 156 SMEs and created 52 new jobs.
• MarkiT Research project developing animal welfare integration into branded meat programs, addressing economic and social aspects of pig farming improvements in the German-Dutch border region.
• TreeMania Project developing innovative sustainable methods for cultivation, planting, and care of trees and shrubs in urban areas, combining methods with digital elements and AI. Involves 11 partners including municipalities (Maastricht, Nijmegen, Weert, Krefeld, Mönchengladbach).

Quantifiable outcome

• 52 new jobs created through FOOD2020 project activities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• INTERREG V A Programme Deutschland-NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2017European regional development fund programme providing co-financing for cross-border projects. GIQS participates as lead partner or regional partner in multiple INTERREG-funded projects including Food Pro·tec·ts (10 million euros), FOOD2020, and TreeMania (1.5 million euros).
• Euregio Rhein-WaalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2017Programme management organization for INTERREG projects in the Rhein-Waal region. Accompanies GIQS-coordinated projects and provides administrative oversight.
• Euregio Rhein-Maas-NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgramme management organization accompanying the TreeMania project and other cross-border initiatives.
• Ems Dollart RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgramme management organization for INTERREG Deutschland-Nederland, supporting FOOD2020 and other GIQS projects.
• DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner for FOOD2020 project. DIL is the German Institute of Food Technology and serves as lead partner in the FOOD2020 INTERREG project where GIQS acts as regional partner for North Rhine-Westphalia.
• TH Köln (TH Cologne - University of Applied Sciences)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPartner in EcoTwin project, developing a mobile application for digital capture and intelligent analysis of green spaces for digital twins of municipal green areas.
• Hochschule Rhein-Waal (Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences)supportingTechnology or IntegrationHost of biomass symposium and research partner in multiple GIQS projects in the Kleve area.
• Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität BonnsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic research partner in MarkiT project (Institute of Animal Sciences, Department of Preventive Health Management) and Food Pro·tec·ts.
• Georg-August-Universität GöttingensupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner in MarkiT project, conducting research on consumer perception and willingness to pay for animal welfare products.
• Wageningen University & ResearchsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner contributing cluster management in Food Pro·tec·ts and expertise in biorefineries and sustainable applications.
• ZLTO (Dutch Farmers' Association / Landbouworganisatie ZLTO)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch farmers' organization and project partner in Food Pro·tec·ts, representing agricultural interests in the Netherlands.
• ZNVG e.G. (Vermarktungsgemeinschaft für Zucht- und Nutzvieh)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer association for breeding and farm animals, partner in MarkiT project bundling pigs for the Gutfleisch programme.
• Fleischwerk EDEKA Nord GmbHsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeat processing company and project partner in MarkiT project, investigating meat qualities and implementing changed production conditions in branded meat programmes.
• EQA (Education and Qualification Alliance)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIQS member and European Training Cooperative launching FOOD2020 feasibility study SMART Blended Learning for farmers and veterinarians.
• Brightlands Campus Greenport VenlosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the HighTech meets Biomass event organized as part of Food Pro·tec·ts project.
• Arnold Co-InnovatiesupportingTechnology or IntegrationEntrepreneur partner in TreeMania project focusing on innovative methods for urban tree cultivation.
• De BiogeoloogsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEntrepreneur partner in TreeMania project.
• DetigersupportingTechnology or IntegrationEntrepreneur partner in TreeMania project.
• Whysor B.V.supportingTechnology or IntegrationEntrepreneur partner in TreeMania project.
• Municipalities (Maastricht, Nijmegen, Weert, Krefeld, Mönchengladbach)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman and Dutch municipalities participating as partners in TreeMania project to develop sustainable urban tree cultivation methods.
• VerspillingsfabrieksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany visited during Food Pro·tec·ts steering board meeting, focused on fighting food waste by processing surplus vegetables into soups, sauces, and stews.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V. Lead partner of GIQS in FOOD2020 and a German food-technology research institute. Closely comparable as a non-profit, project-coordinating entity delivering applied food research and SME support in the same INTERREG ecosystem.
• Euregio Rhein-Waal: Programme management organization for INTERREG Deutschland-Nederland in the Rhein-Waal region and a core strategic partner that co-accompanies GIQS's flagship projects such as Food Pro·tec·ts. Operates the same cross-border funding/coordination mandate from a programme side rather than a project-consortium side.
• Ems Dollart Region (EDR): Programme management organization supporting INTERREG Deutschland-Nederland and accompanying GIQS-coordinated FOOD2020 projects. Directly comparable governance and cross-border coordination mandate in an adjacent German-Dutch corridor.
• Food Valley NL: Dutch agri-food innovation network and cluster organization that brokers consortia, knowledge transfer, and SME support in the agrifood sector. Highly comparable mission and member-driven network model, with a stronger commercialization orientation.
• Euregio Rhein-Maas-Nord: Neighbouring Euregio that accompanies GIQS on the TreeMania project and other German-Dutch cooperation initiatives. Closely comparable institutional structure, geographic scope, and funding-administration role.

Others

• Hochschule Rhein-Waal: University of Applied Sciences in the Kleve/Niederrhein region and recurring GIQS project partner that hosts biomass symposia and supports joint research. Comparable as a regional applied-research partner but not itself a network coordinator.
• ZLTO (Zuidelijke Land- en Tuinbouworganisatie): Dutch farmers' association and GIQS project partner in Food Pro·tec·ts. Comparable as a member-based agricultural interest organization but operating as a producer association rather than a cross-border research coordinator.

Emerging players

• Wageningen University & Research: GIQS's key Dutch academic partner delivering cluster management in Food Pro·tec·ts and biorefineries expertise. Comparable as a research-and-innovation performer in the same cross-border agrifood network, though operating as a university rather than a coordination association.
• Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo: Dutch agrifood innovation campus that hosted GIQS's HighTech meets Biomass event. Comparable as an agrifood innovation intermediary convening industry, academia, and government for cross-border projects.

Regional players

• Agrofood Cluster DACH: Broader DACH-region agrifood cluster organization pursuing cross-border EU-funded agrifood innovation and SME support. Comparable mission and consortia-building role to GIQS but operating across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland rather than the DE-NL corridor specifically.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giqs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Giqs E.v.